Devices used for administering liquid medication to a patient by way of mist or liquid droplets are generally called nebulizers and are primarily used for the delivery of medication into the lungs. These devices are best suited for the inhalation of the mist or aerosol through the patient's mouth. However, some cases require the introduction of liquid droplets to the patient's nasal passages and the droplet or particles of the aerosol generated by such nebulizers are small and lightweight so as to pass through the nasal cavity to the lungs on the inhaled air leaving very little if any of the aerosol deposited in the nasal cavity.
Another device used for delivering liquid through a patient's nasal passages is a nasal irrigator, or irrigator. Irrigators, however, deliberately deliver liquid to the patient's nasal passages, rather than bypassing the nasal cavity to reach the lungs. Current irrigators for introduction of medication to or irrigation of the nasal passages generally comprise an air compressor, an irrigator cup for the liquid medication, and compressor tubing to connect the compressor to the irrigator cup. Inevitably, the equipment and parts used with current irrigators are large and extremely bulky, weighing at least ten pounds. Thus, the compressor tubing provides for a convenient way of handling the irrigator cup during irrigation or use; however, the compressor itself is not a portable or lightweight device. To use the irrigator, the compressor must be placed on a sturdy surface in order to support its weight and its power supply cord must be plugged into an outlet.